Test Results

Sunday Morning.....December 4th! So much to do and so little time to do it before Christmas. I love this time of the year, and Lee and I always look forward to seeing our families, and sharing the many joys during this special season of our Christian celebration of the birthday of Christ.  Unfortunately, we have to try very hard to arrange time for extra activities; I suppose, because we are burdoned with so many other committments.

Even though the clinic day last week was one of the better ones, we were given the bad news on Friday.  Lee is in rejection again.  His type of rejection involves the smaller respiratory pathways, which is apparently the most difficult type to control.  There is also the suspicion from the doctors that Lee may be having non-symptomatic reflux.  They are desperately trying to find the reason for the repeated rejection and the on and off again repeated infections.  So it is, that we will begin on Monday of next week a regime with Home Health for some more Solu -medrol I.V's, Step down prednisone from high doses, and double his anti-rejection pills ( prednisone and myfortic ) on a continuing basis.  In addition to this, we must schedule another two-day visit to Durham ASAP for another reflux test.  We will know this date on Monday.  It will be sometime between the 12, 14, or after Christmas, such as 26, 27, or 28.  He is also to return to Duke for another bronchoscopy on January 30.  In between all of this........if his reflux test is positive, he will be scheduled for a stomach wrap ASAP.  That will require 5-7 days in the hospital!

There, you have it.  Now you understand why time is of the essence for us right now.  Unfortunately, I am having to rest my knee.  I suspect another torn meniscus, since I have done this twice before.  I do not have time for orthopedic visit, nor MRI, nor whatever.....so am treating it with rest (no stairs), ice, and Ibupropen.  From past experience, this will work as long as I avoid stairs and too much standing, lifting, etc.  Right now, we are just planning on taking this holiday season a day at a time, and not trying to include all that we usually do. We have become accustomed to our lives quickly changing within a 24-hour period.

Good news is that Lee feels good.  The only noticeable symptom he has of rejection is a persistant, dry cough.  That is what makes rejection so difficult to deal with. The symptoms are silent, however, they are serious and deadly when the rejection causes pneumonia.  Even with that, the clues are only obvious when they are seriously ill.  We have learned not to look for the "normal" signs and symptoms of an illness ( fever, chills, aches), because these only happen during the more chronic or desperately ill phase.

I will keep you posted on how things are going......we ask for you prayers for our patience, perserverance and renewed health and strength.

More Later.........................................Brenda